


No World For Tomorrow

by grlkat



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death, Dark, Dark!Adam, Gen, Hell, Hurt!Michael, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Relationships, Implied Torture, M/M, Major Character Injury, Non-Consensual Violence, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-22
Updated: 2012-08-22
Packaged: 2017-11-12 16:47:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/493502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grlkat/pseuds/grlkat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adam’s been stuck in the Cage this whole time, barely given a thought by his brothers. When the self-proclaimed ‘King of Hell’ Crowley swings on by with an offer to get him out in exchange for ‘cooperation’, Adam figures the only way to go is up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Cage and All Its Tenants

**Author's Note:**

> Written for spn-adambang round one! My first bang that I completed on my own so I'm anxious. I feel like it's a bit rushed at the end but well, here's to hoping you all like it.

The Cage wasn’t meant for them.

The Cage had been built to hold the Morning Star: to contain the freezing cold that was his Grace, to keep him in line.

It hadn’t been meant for the intense heat of Michael’s Grace; for the goodness and innocence of Adam’s soul; for Sam’s tainted one. But that’s what the Cage got and that was what it was going to work with.

Lucifer, of course, was used to the pain, to the alternating phantom and very real stabs into his Grace, the blood dripping over the floor. Just because Lucifer was used to it, though, didn’t mean that Sam was. Sam’s body and soul, tortured not only by Lucifer but also by the Cage, had the good luck of being rescued. Mostly.

Sam’s soul stayed.

Sam’s soul stayed along with Adam’s entire being, stuck with the archangels and their pain and torture. They tried to protect each other as best they could, to block what shots possible from the other’s angel, to try and lessen the damage.

But then Sam’s soul was gone. And it was just Adam, alone.

Only he wasn’t alone. He was still there with Michael and Lucifer, hurt and dying over and over again. The Morning Star ripped at him, furious that he was the Winchester left behind when he had wanted Sam for ages, mad that Adam had been deemed his consolation prize. Michael protected him from his brother, knew that Adam was the innocent one in this whole mess, tried to make up for getting him here.

The protection, unfortunately, didn’t last.

Because the Cage wasn’t meant for Michael, was practically made by him; it affected him in ways it didn’t affect Lucifer. Any other angel, however, would’ve succumbed to it the way Michael did, though, because it was only meant for Lucifer and anyone else being there meant that they were getting a worse fate than him. Michael’s strength stayed, of course, for he was the strongest of God’s angels and that would never change, but his essence was another story. 

Slowly but surely, Michael’s mind just wasn’t into it anymore, wasn’t connecting or touching base with what was going on in the Cage. He succumbed to what Adam could only describe as the angel equivalent of regression, for even though Michael was still strong and good, he wasn’t the general of Heaven’s armies anymore. His mind weakened, his hold on reality loosened until really, he was only aware that he was with Adam and that he was with Lucifer and that it all hurt.

Thankfully Adam picked up the slack much more quickly than Michael let go of his mind.

Adam, for all his two years of pre-med, for his entire life as the son of one of the top nurses in a hospital, knew to cradle Michael gently in between his violent spats with Lucifer. He grew stronger in the Cage and began to resist Lucifer’s blows, to block Michael from them despite the horrible damage to his soul at the end of their fights. He knew to wrap Michael’s grace in his own essence to protect him just as Michael had done for him. Adam became the strong one, the protector, the one to fight the devil just as he’d told Sam and Dean that afternoon when he’d gotten resurrected.

And then after a while, the pain became less punishment and more routine.

Lucifer, almost always entertained now that he had two cellmates in his jail, relished the chance to punish either one of them, though now it’d become more Adam than Michael. He didn’t care who it was; he didn’t care if they hadn’t recovered from the last time. Lucifer needed constant distraction and they were going to provide it for him. 

Sometimes though, sometimes Adam got smart and managed to win. 

Sometimes, Adam would catch Lucifer off guard and let Michael out then. With Lucifer down and Adam encouraging him, Michael would just do what he was made to do; to fight, to win, and Adam would watch as Michael would tear his brother apart. Michael, with his hot grace, his imposing essence, his innate condition to simply defeat and consume. He would drive his younger brother to the edge of life and then, almost as if he remembered that he loved his brother, he would slowly but surely bring him back from the brink, would heal him with hot grace flicks and affection and that, really, would be what caused Lucifer to surrender to him time and time again.

Their fights always ended up like that, healing each other just enough for the other to begin to heal properly on their own. Michael, with his basic almost animal-like thoughts and feelings, would always turn to Adam after this, would seek the comfort of his human and plead wordlessly for Adam to do the same to Lucifer, which was impossible. Adam couldn’t stand to get near Lucifer and likewise, the Morning Star wanted nothing to do with the puny human. Michael could only stay in the safety of Adam’s soul at those times, sulking almost but not able or willing to really try anything to get Adam to comply. Hostility worked just fine for Adam and Lucifer and no matter who won or lost the last fight, Lucifer would always start the next one anyway, as if he were incapable of accepting any sort of peace. The fighting, coupled with the abuse of the Cage, helped in scarring Adam’s soul indefinitely. Michael would try to heal what he could but Adam would never let him do too much, would always tell the archangel to direct his strength towards protecting them, instead. The distraction would work but Adam was left worse off the longer they were in the Cage. By the time there was outside interest in the occupants in the Cage, the human had had more than enough.

\--

Adam couldn’t really tell how long it had been since they’d fallen into the Cage. The days blended into weeks and what Adam thought were months were really years and he’d given up figuring out the time after Michael claimed in a moment of lucidity that they’d been there for more than a couple of centuries. Whenever now was anyway, it was during a moment of reprieve. Lucifer was keeping to himself in victory while Adam tended to his own wounds. Michael hadn’t meant to but he’d managed to hurt Adam during the last fight and it’d rocked their balance off-kilter for the moment. It was at this moment that someone decided to pay them a visit. Adam only knew something was there because Lucifer and Michael suddenly perked up and looked towards one of the walls.

“Well, well, well…don’t you all look cozy?” Adam got up and turned to face the source of the voice behind him, soul tense and ready for a fight. He found himself looking at someone he could only describe as a sleazy businessman in a nice suit. Hands laced in front of his stomach casually, lips quirked up into an amused smile. Adam found himself being reminded of those guys that Kate would occasionally come home with, the ones that used to want more than they were offering.

“Who are the fuck are you?” Adam asked, voice rough and scratchy from screaming. The man before them arched an eyebrow before shrugging.

“I should have expected that your moronic brothers didn’t key you in on the big players,” he said instead before tilting his head to try and get a look at Michael and Lucifer. “I’ve seem to come at a time of peace. No more Apocalypse, then?”

“What the hell do you want?” Adam asked, almost weary as he flopped down onto the ground, Michael edging towards him cautiously. He wasn’t in the mood for any games but when someone mentioned Sam or Dean, it usually meant that that was what he would be dealing with. “Obviously, my brothers aren’t in here with us to tell me who you are.”

“No. No, they’re not. They’re upstairs on earth while you’re left here rotting with…these two.”

Adam stared at the intruder before standing up again, slow and deliberate in his motions as he moved closer to the wall of the Cage. He heard Michael make a sound of protest behind him but he paid him no mind for the moment. “What. Do. You Want.”

“Cooperation,” came the simple answer. 

Adam took it a step further, snorting before clarifying. “Leverage. Against my brothers. You figure I’m mad enough to move against them.”

“They did leave you in here. Dean had the choice to bring you or Sam back and he obviously made the choice for his moose.” Adam narrowed his eyes, not amused when the other simply gave him a small smirk, and he found himself lashing out futilely, his soul crashing against the wall of the Cage in a sea of rage as the others just looked at him. The human reined it in with a yell before reaching out and managing to grab the man’s suit, tugging him hard so he could stare into dark eyes.

“Get the fuck out of here before I kill you,” he snarled, a soft, smug satisfaction on his face as the other’s eyes widened just a bit. Obviously, someone hadn’t expected the human to do anything. 

“Adam….” 

Adam glanced back at Michael before staring at the man for a moment and then complying, throwing the other away and taking a couple of steps back. 

“Nice to see you don’t have your brothers’ poor manners.”

“Do I need to say please to get you to go the fuck away?!” They stared at each other for a few moments before the suit grinned and waved.

“I’ll be seeing you soon, Adam.” The other disappeared from sight and Adam lashed out again, punching the wall of the Cage before making a wounded cry and turning to slide down it. He felt Michael rise up and move towards him, wrapping around him as he tended to do, holding him gently as he cried in frustration, Lucifer simply watching as he always did whenever Adam broke down. Dean had separated him and Sam, had taken him away when Adam needed Sam more than Dean did. He had left Adam here in the Cage to be punished for things he never did, had let Adam come down in his place. Adam couldn’t help but struggle in his angel’s embrace, trying to do something, anything, that would make him feel better, but Michael didn’t let him go and eventually, Adam settled again, calm enough to not lash out again.

“…Who was that?” he asked softly, looking towards Lucifer for the answer. 

To both their surprise, Michael was the one who answered. “Crowley, a demon. King of Hell.” Lucifer scoffed at the announcement but besides that, made no further contribution and Michael returned to silence after then.

The way time in the Cage went was very different than the rest of Hell. Three months on earth ended up being thirty years in Hell and those thirty years in Hell ended up being one hundred and twenty in the Cage, give or take a couple of decades. So the next time that Crowley came to visit had come after a very long time, to Adam at least. As Lucifer liked to remind him, humans knew nothing about anything, especially time, and could never really appreciate just how precious it really was. Getting into a fight over that really seemed unnecessary to Adam, though.

“Adam. You seem…occupied.”

The demon’s presence only took Adam’s attention for a second before the human shot out his hand, landing a punch to Lucifer’s jaw only to get thrown down into the floor. He grunted in pain as Lucifer tore at him, focusing more on protecting Michael’s essence than himself.

“Yeah, well— dammit Lucifer, get the fuck off— He’s an attention whore,” Adam yelled out, struggling under the fallen archangel before screaming loudly, arching off the ground and fighting in earnest as his soul began to be stripped bare. Michael tried to surge out to help but Adam didn’t let him, instead reaching in himself and using Michael’s grace to scar the other angel, flaring out with Grace-drenched soul. Lucifer got off in a rush, the burns of Michael’s Grace too much for him to withstand in that moment, and Adam scrambled back, panting as he tried to reach back for the pieces of himself while keeping Michael down. A routine argument wouldn’t be a good time to unleash the strongest of Heaven’s angels.

“Well. That was interesting.” 

Adam looked back to give Crowley a look before rolling his eyes. “What do you want, Crowley?”

“I take it one of these children told you about me then,” He answered, looking a bit pleased. Adam scoffed but nodded, eying Lucifer warily even as he answered.

“Of course. Crowley, King of Hell,“ Adam said flippantly all while soothing Michael as best he could. The archangel wanted to escape, to simultaneously hurt Lucifer and heal him, both of which weren’t an option for the moment.

“Very good, darling.”

“Still wanna talk to me about cooperation?” Adam asked, arching an eyebrow at the demon, a bit surprised to see him simply shrug.

“Would you rather talk about it in there or… out here?” 

Adam turned to look at Crowley sharply, not knowing if he should trust the possibility of freedom. In that moment, Lucifer lunged for him again, continuing the fight. This time, harnessing Michael’s power did Adam no good and the human found himself on the receiving end of more pain. Lucifer tore into him, the shielding his soul normally provided broke down until Adam had to expel Michael from his care in order to protect him. Michael’s grace filled the Cage as it always did upon being bared and within moments, Lucifer was engulfed in his brother’s essence, ripped apart and put together all at once. It gave Adam the time to get away again and this time, he hurried for the demon outside.

“Out there’s looking pretty lovely right about now,” Adam said hoarsely, reaching out for Crowley only to be rebuked.

“Make sure neither of them tag along first,” Crowley said, motioning behind Adam. 

The blond glanced back at the two archangels, his soul twitching and recoiling in response to the beat down Michael was giving his younger brother. Adam turned back to Crowley and smiled ruefully, noticing then the stings on his lips that signaled cracked, broken lips. 

“They’re not gonna notice for a while,” Adam reassured, bringing his tongue out to lick at the blood he could taste on the corner on his mouth. Crowley reached out for him then and the Cage opened with a loud sizzling sound that drowned out everything else for Adam for that second, the wall in front of Adam parting so that he could tumble out on the other side, feeling worse there than inside. A glance back let Adam know that Michael and Lucifer hadn’t noticed his disappearance yet but he was sure that wouldn’t be the case for long. 

“Ready?” 

“Just get me out of here for like, ten minutes, and I’ll owe ya something,” Adam rasped out, struggling to get to his feet, quite aware of the blood dripping off himself.

“Oh, I’m counting on it,” he replied. Adam narrowed his eyes quickly at the demon but before he could say anything, Crowley had a hand on his shoulder and the two vanished from beside the Cage. At the feel of solid ground under his feet, Adam’s knees buckled from under him and he would have face-planted into the rich carpet if not for the demon’s steadying hand on his arm. “Easy now, runt.”

“Don’t…call me runt. Aw shit, I’ma hurl,” Adam murmured before being dragged to a bathroom. Why the demon had one in the first place, he didn’t know but he was grateful for it and showed his appreciation in the best way. Use. It was only after Adam lost his stomach, he was sure he hadn’t had anything in there in centuries, that he sat back on his haunches with a wince and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, looking at Crowley with bleary, glazed eyes.

“Better?” Crowley asked, almost amused with the sight. Adam had the strength of mind to flip him off as he nodded slowly.

“Heal me and we’ll be in business. I don’t need to do that in the Cage,” Adam answered before coughing a bit more and then spitting in the toilet one final time. It took him a couple of moments but he managed to get to his feet on his own and only held on to Crowley’s arm with one hand, a vast improvement from what he pictured. The blond landed on the soft chaise in the room with a plop, blue eyes sliding shut as he took inventory of his body. It was a combination of Boy Scouts and his dad’s insistence of having self-awareness that made him take stock and honestly, he’d hoped that he hadn’t. 

Lucifer had left him raw in every sense of the word. He felt torn apart inside and out and even imagined that he saw fingernails missing. Adam could see the scars though, how they crisscrossed all over his arms and legs, how they had an ethereal glow to them. Scars made from Grace directly onto his soul, no doubt. He clenched his fists then, noting dully how more blood seemed to drip from them even though he couldn’t see any cuts, and then looked up at Crowley. The demon was watching him, arms crossed against his chest but no more than that to show any hint of emotion. Adam could only assume that, at the very least, the demon was not pleased that he was bleeding all over his expensive feeling furniture. 

“Do I really look this bad?” Adam asked with a soft laugh of disbelief, sitting back just a bit and taking a deep breath. It was odd now to be aware of his own soul’s presence inside himself but he could feel Crowley’s essence as well now that he was free of other distractions, so he figured it was par for the course. Then again, humans weren’t ever supposed to be in the Cage so he figured that made him a one of a kind ‘runt’ as Crowley seemed to like calling him. 

“Honestly, you look a lot better than I expected,” Crowley admitted, though he sounded infinitely amused at the notion. Adam arched an eyebrow, bringing a hand up when he felt a trickle by his eye that signaled blood, and then nodded.

“Right. Sam’s out. How’s he look?” Adam asked, failing to hide the disdain in his tone. He couldn’t help it. Crowley’s previous words rang in his mind again and it just made him upset. Adam could never be mad at Sam though; he knew that right away. He was upset with Dean, with their father, with countless other people besides Sam. Sam had done what they’d set out to do, even if it was condemn them to the Cage. He’d thrown himself in there with Adam and the young man would never be able to fault him for anything with that in mind. 

“Don’t think too hard now. I was sure there would be at least one of you boys with brains but that seems to have been too much to ask for,” Crowley said, snapping his fingers once to get Adam’s attention.

“I spaced out?” Adam asked, surprised at getting an affirmative answer. 

“Quite hard, in fact. You asked your question and your light turned off fairly quickly,” Crowley added with a slight shrug. The blond narrowed his eyes at the news, unsure of what to make of it, but shook his head a bit and huffed all the same.

“Well? How is he?” He asked instead, hoping to just settle into some semblance of normal that he could never expect ever again. He didn’t know how long he would have until Michael and Lucifer noticed he was gone and even though he was out now, he was sure that Crowley wouldn’t mind putting him back in, thoughts of leverage over his brothers or not.

“He’s got a bit of a problem,” Crowley answered, tapping his temple just a bit. “Course, he wasn’t down here as long as you have been but he apparently didn’t have Lucifer staying nice and cozy inside him.”

“Let’s talk about us,” the human asked instead, earning an arched eyebrow from Crowley.

“Rushing into it already, kitten? No first date?”he asked before being on the receiving end of an unamused glare. The demon rolled his eyes before nodding. “Alright, alright. At least you’re more savvy than the other two.”

“I’m nothing like my brothers so you should cut that the fuck out right about now,” Adam said, rolling his shoulders just a bit to feel the bones popping back into place. The injuries just kept piling onto his mental list and he didn’t know if increasing sensation was a good or bad thing in this case. Crowley waved a hand in front of his face, getting his attention again before giving him a look and then answering.

“More savvy and just as feather-brained….”

“Don’t make bird jokes. I’ve been ridden by archangel for the past…how long have I been down here?” 

“Well, you, what? Got dragged in here by moose in May? It’s…April.”

“…I have only been down here for a year,” Adam murmured, voice faint as he thought of the horrible implications. He’d been suffering for so long, how the Hell could it have only been eleven months? Luckily, Crowley chuckled and shook his finger at him.

“Oh no. It’s April of 2013, darling. You’ve been down here for almost three years topside. That’s about…three hundred and...sixty years down here,” Crowley clarified calmly, earning Adam’s wide-eyed gaze. “Happy Easter.”

“I’m Jewish,” Adam answered almost in exasperation, bringing bloodied hands up to cradle his face. It’d only been three years, barely at that. Crowley chuckled again, a sound that Adam was beginning to find himself comfortable with. It was better than Lucifer’s darker, more heinous laughter.

“Mazel tov, then. Unfortunately for you, still the same God in charge if that’s the case.”

“Yeah well, I figured once Michael said so. Doesn’t bother me as much anymore that the God of my forefathers is a deadbeat dad. Kinda used to the idea.” The blond spat a wad of blood and spit unto the floor, partially in disgust of God and also because he had the need to, but he paid no mind to the look Crowley gave him. “That still doesn’t tell me what you have in mind for me. If I agree.”

“Alright then.” Crowley turned away from Adam then, readjusting his suit jacket as he sat down on the edge of his oak desk. He looked at Adam closely for a second, as if about to tell him he needed to clean up, but decided to go straight into it instead. “How much do you remember of your brothers?”

“Besides everything, you mean?” Adam asked, snark in his voice as his lips pulled back in the slightest of sneers before pressing together. The look Crowley gave him let him know to stop being a smart ass. He sighed and leaned back with a wince, realizing that he could feel the soft upholstery under him and that he was actually naked. He did a double take, alarmed, but when Crowley simply arched an eyebrow at him to continue, he figured that modesty was the least of his concerns.

“What else, runt?”

“There was…uh, that gramps. Bobby Singer. They were at his house. And the angel. Castiel. He…He was the one who pulled me out,” Adam said, voice dying off towards the end as he stared at the floor, the memories of waking up below the ground fresh as if only yesterday. Crowley snapped his fingers again before making a motion with his hands for Adam to continue. “R-Right uh…Castiel was there. They didn’t want us to say ‘yes’. Uh, me and Dean. To Michael.”

“How did you end up being worn then? When did you say yes?”

“Zachariah,” Adam spat out before actually spitting on the floor at the name, more disgust. “He said I could see my mom again if I said yes. He only wanted to use me to get Dean close to say yes for Michael though.”

“And then?” 

Adam arched an eyebrow at the demon before licking his bloodied lips and sighing. “Dean stabbed Zachariah in the face and they tried to get me out but Michael came down then,” Adam continued, his voice soft still as he remembered this part. “In pretty much a split second, he… Well, getting angel-raped in every sense of the word isn’t pretty….I said yes and next time I saw my brothers was when Dean rode in in the Impala blasting Rock of Ages.”

“You were awake for the big showdown?” Crowley asked, leaning forward a bit as Adam sat up again, wincing as he shook his head. 

“Michael saw my brother coming and put me to sleep. I was only able to take control again after we were molotov’d. Well, shared. Sorta. It was weird. I don’t recommend getting baked while being worn by one of Heaven’s strongest.”

“Interesting…”

“My whole life’s interesting. What else is new?” Adam muttered with an eye roll before giving Crowley a look. “So what’s my ‘cooperation’ about, hot shot?” he asked, using air quotations for the word.

“Castiel. And your brothers but more him.”

“…The clueless baby angel?”

“He really was the one to pull you out then.” 

Adam huffed out a soft laugh then and nodded a bit, giving a small shrug. “Michael says that being touched intimately by an angel lets you get a bit familiar with their essence, depending on exposure and shit. Castiel pulled me out of the grave, an intimate moment to angel standards, and he pulled Dean out of Hell after Heaven laid siege on it. The only one he hasn’t really soul fondled seems to be Sam.”

“No, no…He was the one who grabbed Sam’s body out of the Cage, actually.” The look on Adam’s face seemed to seal the deal for Crowley. He ducked his head for a moment before pushing off the desk and walking to the blond, who seemed frozen in a state of disbelief and rage. “Now…” Adam looked up sharply at the demon, his eyes bright in the dim room, fists clenched tightly on his thighs as he waited. “How about I keep you out of that Cage and you work for me handling Castiel?”

“…With you,” Adam said after a beat, earning a look of surprise.

“Excuse me?” 

“Say that we’ll be working together and you’ve got a better change of snagging me. I’m not your puppet, Crowley, and you won’t be allowed to think otherwise,” Adam clarified, moving to finally stand on his feet the first time since he’d been let out. He towered over Crowley as his brothers did but there was something else in his movements and the demon could tell. Adam didn’t move like Sam or Dean, he didn’t carry himself like John had. The Adam standing before him was scarred and broken and strong all at once, all rolled into one being that had been incredible enough to house the essence of the strongest of Heaven’s angels and be able to use some of that essence as well. Crowley was being faced with a player in the game that could be used all for his own gain. Like a smart king, he took it.

“Fine. You’ll be working with me to get back at Castiel and the Winchesters all while trying to get into Purgatory ourselves. That alright with you?”

“Just keep me out of the Cage and we’ll be in business. You’ve got yourself your leverage, Crowley.”


	2. A Whore is a Whore is a Tramp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam and Crowley are working on the plan to get into Purgatory, even as the Winchesters continue to ruin the plans Crowley and Castiel have been making. There are big moves to be made.

Business with Crowley ended up being what could be expected from business with Crowley. He had tried to word the deal with Adam in a way that was most beneficial to him but loopholes were things Adam knew how to work around. He made sure that the words exchanged between them actually meant things, actually went for his benefit more than Crowley’s because the demon had less to lose than he did here. 

For what it was worth, Adam was pretty sure that Crowley was growing more fond of him the more Adam learned from him. It was because of his experience with his brothers that Adam was so eager, so good at picking up what needed to be done. The plan, most of the plan, had been told to him and honestly, he could see why trusting the angel was one of Crowley’s better decisions. Castiel was leader of the Team Free Will camp and he didn’t even understand the incredible limitations that came with them, the very reason why Heaven was in shambles now was because of this. Adam, because of Michael and Lucifer, understood how angels saw things differently from humans, how this concept of free will being shoved unto their brothers was actually a sham. The only beings that did not have free will programmed into them were angels, and lowering them to a human, earthly plane of existence by instructing them to practice it had made the angels weak all around.

“You’re a lot sharper than your brothers,” Crowley murmured, appraising Adam.

“Honestly, not that difficult. Giving angels something human downgrades them to humans. They’re capable of love, because that’s what God told them to do. Making decisions though, those are a select few and I’m pretty sure that even Lucifer would find Castiel out of line.”

“Try not to mention to dear dad, will you? Knowing that you spend time with him in the Cage is bad enough. It doesn’t matter. You’ve got the idea, let’s move on to what I’m going to need you for.”

Even though Crowley had turned Hell into the longest grocery line in existence, Crowley was still a demon and Crowley still had the urge to eviscerate souls as much as the next, more or less. So Crowley kept Adam out of the Cage and taught him how to torture, just as Dean had learned under Alistair. The difference between Dean and Adam, though, was all too obvious. Dean had been a star pupil but Adam was... special. Adam liked to think he was just good at it because he had been a pre-med major. Crowley chalked it up to having housed Michael, something about the archangel’s Grace affecting him, making him more receptive to things related to warfare.

Considering Adam had to go back to the Cage every few Earth days just to maintain a semblance of health led the blond to believe this to be true.

Being away from Michael grew increasingly harder for him, physically as well as spiritually, and he liked to pin that on how much they’ve gone through together. Without Adam in the Cage to act as a buffer between the two brothers, their fights were more vicious but less frequent. Adam’s returns, however, brought a combination of intense frequent fighting and equally intense making up between them. Lucifer no longer went out of his way to rip Adam apart, instead toying with him more, playing with him in a way that lessened the abuse Michael would dish out in retaliation. For Adam, being back in the Cage only for those moments grew to be wanted in the worst way, to the point that he missed the Morning Star almost as much as he missed Michael’s warm innocence wrapped around his essence.

It was probably because unlike with Michael, Adam could have conversations with Lucifer. The conversations focused on Adam’s training, on his brothers, on Crowley. And Lucifer, the silver-tongue that he was, knew deep down that Crowley and Adam were just using each other and said as much, frequently. The blond only allowed it because it was true and because Lucifer gave him names of demons that would, when the time came, be able to help Adam and make sure that when it came down to Crowley tossing him away, he wouldn’t suffer a severe loss. Demons who had been loyal to The Plan, to Lucifer, or even demons that just hated his brothers and in the case of Bela Talbot, a demon that had been left to die by them. Because of that incident, Bela held a special place for Adam.

It helped that Adam was in the business of screwing people over before they got to him. So if Adam bonded with Lucifer as much as with Michael, that was his business and none of Crowley’s. There was little time for it, though, when Crowley was planning an offensive. Especially after Castiel apparently ruined the plan.

“What’s going on?” Adam asked, pausing as he twisted a nail into the man on the table. The tongue was long gone so the screaming that should’ve filled the room was severely lacking.

“That idiot angel, that’s what!” Adam watched as Crowley shrugged off his suit jacket and tossed it to the corner, uncharacteristically uncaring of where it fell, and grabbed an apron. “He decided that it was perfectly alright to forgo the whole plan!”

“The whole plan, Crowley?” Adam asked, eyebrow arched as he wiped his hands on his victim’s clothes and made his way over to the demon. Crowley had a pair of tongs in hand but after learning under him for decades, in Hell at least, he knew he wouldn’t get hurt.

“Well, he completely butchered the plan with Atropos over his moronic playboy brother and we lost all the souls from that! Time travel and getting rid of Celine Dion was not bloody easy to come up with!” Crowley snarled, almost jerking back his arm when Adam put his hand on it before stilling.

“Dude, breathe.”

“Don’t call me ‘dude’!”

“....Dude. Breathe,” Adam repeated, rubbing Crowley’s arm and pushing just a bit to get him to the side of the operating table, the man on it staring at him in horror. “Besides, you forget that you’ve got your plans still rolling. Alphas, remember? Eve?”

Crowley clenched his jaw, obviously listening but focusing on getting his temper back in control. Adam patted him on both shoulders before moving away, only to hear a clipped order to grab one of the Djinns from the holding cell. Most of their days went like this, working on the Crowley and Castiel plans first and always making sure to work on Crowley’s personal plans in the background, always a backup, always making sure that things kept moving. And if Castiel didn’t even know Adam was out of the Cage, that was their own business.

\---

Things came to a head again, though, much to soon for their liking. Crowley’s plans for Eve got derailed by Dean thinking to drink a shot phoenix ash and Adam realized then that his quiet plans, the ones he never mentioned to Crowley but had always had growing in the shadows with the help of others, were going to have to start rolling into play. The... not-human, because there was no real way to describe Adam and his soul anymore, didn’t know what to think of a demon who had to kill two kids to clean up angel messes.

Crowley thought the best thing to do, what the whole plan had been this whole time, would be to use Eve to get Purgatory to obtain souls. Now they had to find another way to get in.

Adam thought the best thing to do would be to get control of the territory already available to take. To keep Hell and to get Heaven from Rafael, to keep it from Castiel.

Crowley’s failure of a meeting with Castiel after the Eve fiasco was really just the icing on the cake for Adam and he knew that all his quiet whispers of backup plans were going to have to take off as quickly as possible.

From the way Crowley talked about his brothers, Adam was pretty sure the idea of backstabbing was quite a common one in his family.

Those rushed couple of days on Earth were a mad dash of years in Hell. Adam had grown stronger from the time of his initial release from the Cage and under Crowley’s careful eye, had probably learned more about Hell than his teacher had hoped. Talking to demons had always been shaky at first but with Crowley’s current performance and all bad news that Adam had been leaking ‘innocently’ since Crowley first brought him topside to start helping him with the alphas, the demons were more receptive to this boy-angel-demon thing that played house with their true leader and had said leader’s glowing recommendation - the glowing pretty literal. Still, before anything could go forward for him, Adam needed Crowley to get his brothers off their backs.

“So Castiel and Dean are-”

“Broken up? Yes. Which does not work in our favor, pet,” Crowley answered, huffing a bit as he paced his office. Adam was fresh from having just come out the Cage only moments earlier, Lucifer’s soft whispers fresh in his mind. 

“We need to keep my brothers out of this.”

“Oh really? I would have never thought that that had been the plan the whole time,” Crowley snapped, earning an eye roll.

“Be a dick, fine, but think of something. I’m sure you have some leverage over them somehow.”

“Like what? Castiel is their little guardian angel and he’s actually taking that seriously even after your stupid brother all but shunned him out of Singer’s place.”

“Well...” Adam pursed his lips before grinning a bit, a plan forming in his mind. “Who did Dean shack up with? You mentioned some chick and a kid.”

“The Braedans? What about- Oh. Oh, I see.” Crowley turned to look at Adam, an appraising look that Adam knew to be one of approval and pride. “I do believe that I have someone in mind to handle this task for us then.”

“Perfect. Grab the family, tell my brothers to back off, and we’ll be in the clear.”

“You do realize that Dean is not going to back off quietly, don’t you Millgan?”

“So then we kill,” Adam answered easily, standing up gracefully and shrugging. Crowley pursed his lips a but before nodding in agreement. Of course, Crowley was making the wrong assumption about who Adam meant.

When Crowley left Hell to go after the Braedans, Adam immediately went to work. He rallied the demons that he had in his corner, his power over them granted by Lucifer was enough to shift the control of Hell. Slowly, of course, because Crowley was going to notice, but the ball was rolling. Bela was one of the demons that Crowley had chosen to raid the home, hoping that her vengeance against the Winchesters would extend to Dean’s little side family, and she kept Adam updated as best she could. Time was of the essence.

By the time Crowley had transported Lisa and Ben to the warehouse and gotten in touch with Dean, Adam was back in front of the Cage, ready to open it.

“Lucifer, Michael. It’s time,” Adam said through the bars, watching as the archangels moved from around each other and rushed towards him.

“Where’s Crowley?” Lucifer asked, a look of glee on his face. Michael was more subdued, almost whimpering but still knowing enough that Adam was going to let them free.

“Topside. He’s moving against Castiel and my brothers now. Lucifer, deal now.”

“What, do you want this written or something? You know the plan, Adam.”

“Verbally. It’s as binding.”

“You just want to be a little shit.” 

Adam smirked then, almost laughing, and it was enough to make Lucifer roll his eyes and nod. 

“Fine. You get me out of here and we’ll rule Hell together. You and Michael will never be plotted against. Archangel’s honor.” 

Adam shivered then, his soul clenching and reaching out towards Lucifer and Michael’s Graces, the Cage parting open as their essences mixed together. The three glowed, not unusual at this point in time for them, and their bond solidified, intensifying even more as Adam reached out to cover Michael and bring his essence into him, protecting him from Hell’s damage as Lucifer fled. Reassured that Michael was safe, Adam exchanged a look with Lucifer before staring at the Cage.

“...That’ll work,” The Morning Star noted, taking into mind what Adam was thinking. In fact, he actually could hear what he was thinking.

“That trick? Totally useful. Let’s go before Crowley realizes shit’s hitting the fan for him.”

“You humans and your strange phrases,” Lucifer murmured before following into the main circle of Hell. The power shift was immediate then, the archangel’s Grace easily tapping into the territory and once and for all, stealing it from under Crowley’s nose, even if he wasn’t down there. “Go topside, I’ve got it under control here.”

“Kill the loyalists. Though, I’m pretty sure everyone will be kneeling before you instead of trying to take you out,” Adam said, earning a scoff.

“Go. There is little time, Adam. Protect my brother.” Lucifer’s eyes flashed and Adam nodded, hand pressed to his chest where he felt Michael’s warmth.

“Of course.”


	3. Give Your Days A Good Look

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mad scramble for power is upon them and something's gotta give. The big guns don't seem to remember that David did, in fact, defeat Goliath.

Having Michael inside but dormant was a lot different than when he was playing second fiddle in his own head. Coupled with the fact that Michael was still too weak-minded to really take control, the Cage’s true effect on his essence left him too weak spiritually to do so even if he wanted to. Adam had control of his Grace, though, and that was all he needed to disappear and get in touch with Bela. The Braedan plan was almost a bust but it got Castiel and Crowley close enough to the Purgatory native, Eleanor, and they had finished torturing her.

“Whoa, wait, Castiel? Torture?” Adam asked, earning an eye roll from the former thief. She was currently possessing a young woman with similar enough physical features, probably for familiarity’s sake, and made a conscious choice to use her actual voice instead of her meatsuit’s. Adam had always liked accents and demon voices didn’t actually bother him.

“Yes. Torture. From the little baby angel. Who knew.”

“This means that Crowley’s got everything for Purgatory then, pretty much. Was he asking for me?”

“No. I did and he said that he had you off doing other work for him.” Adam furrowed his eyebrows at that, slightly perturbed.

“He didn’t say shit to me. If anything, he just told me to lay low or whatever, not get involved until he called me.”

“Well then I guess that answers that then. Your job was to wait like a puppy.”

“Can you feel downstairs actually? How much it’s changing?” Adam asked excitedly, the bond with Lucifer allowing him to feel just a bit of what was happening in Hell. Bela, however, frowned and shook her head.

“No, it feels as it always does.” They looked at each other in confusion for a second before wide grins grew on their faces. “Lucifer.”

“Is doing it on purpose so Crowley doesn’t know, excellent.” Adam pumped his fist before Michael whined in his head. “Shit, something’s wrong.”

“With what?”

“Michael. Something’s off. I need to get him in quick,” Adam explained, rubbing his chest to sooth the archangel inside as best he could. Bela licked her lips, thinking quickly before nodding.

“I’m pretty sure your brothers should be finding the good lady soon enough.”

“I want you to follow them. I need to talk to Crowley. Let him know how things are going to be from now on.”

“And your brothers?”

“I’ll take care of Dean when he comes in thinking he’s going to save the day,” Adam answered, smiling brightly. Bela looked him over, taking in the sight before disappearing, the scent of sulfur lingering. He reached out, trying to sense where the demon was, and was aided by Michael simply snarling and telling him the location. Archangel copilot? Total advantage. Adam closed his eyes, concentrating on getting there, and with a twist of Michael’s Grace, they appeared outside the building. The demons around recognized Adam instantly, so rushing in was no problem.

“Crowley, how are we doing?” Adam let out breathlessly as he walked into the room Crowley. The demon twisted around from the table he was at and arched an eyebrow.

“I thought I left you downstairs.”

“You’re telling me that I have to hear from some random demon that you’ve got everything ready for Purgatory and you want me back downstairs?” Adam asked incredulously, crossing his arms. 

Crowley gave him a look before nodding. “Yes, actually. I need to have someone down there that I’m sure won’t completely screw me over.” Crowley stilled for a moment, tilting his head at Adam. “I guess you went back to the Cage a second time? You have the stench of those archangels all over you.”

“I wanted to make sure I was in perfect condition for whatever went down today,” Adam answered, rubbing his chest, partly to pacify Michael’s sudden indignation and partly to play up how he usually got injured when left out of the Cage too long. 

Crowley shrugged, nodding again before showing off the table. “Well, here you have it. The ritual, blood of a virgin, and blood of a Purgatory native,” he announced, pleased with himself.

“When’s Castiel coming?”

“Soon, actually. Said he wanted to handle one of his brothers before coming back here.”

“Handle one of his brothers?”

“Kill him, most likely.”

“I don’t think we should go along with this with him if he’s willing to stab up his brothers.”

“You’re willing to,” Crowley countered, making Adam roll his eyes.

“I don’t know them. Castiel’s like, the littlest angel ever. They all know each other, they all poofed into existence before him and probably trained him,” Adam explained, coming closer to the table to examine everything. “I think we should have a trick for him, just in case.”

“Like what?”

“Well, last ingredient was the native blood, right? Switch it out with something else’s blood and just in case he tries something on us, he’ll get screwed over,” Adam suggested, picking up the bottle and sniffing it gingerly, the scent much different than a human’s or demon’s. Crowley looked at Adam pensively before nodding.

“You’re right. I don’t trust him, he doesn’t trust me. I should keep our best interests at heart here. Give me your arm.” Adam blinked at Crowley, confused, before seeing the knife in his hands. 

“Aww, really? You know, you’re lucky I’m like, uncategorizable enough that this makes sense,” Adam whined, sticking out his arm and rolling up his sleeve. The demon snorted but whipped up an identical bottle and cut deeply, ignoring Adam’s slight wince in favor of a relatively clean collection. Adam’s skin knitted together slowly as he made to hand over Eleanor’s bottle but Crowley did something unexpected then. He shook his head. “What?”

“Castiel doesn’t know about you. You’re the best person to keep a hold of that for now. Come back when I call for you, later. We’ll have our answer about his loyalty then.” Adam tucked the bottle into his hoodie pocket and nodded, watching as Crowley tidied up the table. They both felt when Castiel showed up outside and Adam disappeared immediately, opting to go to the next important place on his list.

The Salvage Yard looked so much better the first time he was here.

“Hey there, Dean,” Adam said brightly, hands shoved into his pockets as he appeared in the corner of the panic room. Dean and Bobby turned around sharply to look at him, Bobby’s eyebrows hiding up under his hat and Dean....

Dean looked scared and weary all at once.

“Adam?”

“No, Adam,” he answered with a grin before pushing off the wall and coming closer, glancing down at Sam’s prone body. “Wow, Dean. Sam doesn’t look too good.”

“I-Y-How?” Dean asked, voice soft, the paper crumpled in his hand. Michael whined inside of Adam, the scent of angel still lingering and bothering him, and Adam found himself uncaring of his brother’s obvious distress in the face of Michael’s.

“How am I alive? Out of the Cage? How’d I get here?” Adam offered, eyes flicking between Dean and Bobby, watching how his brother seemed to crumble in front of him while Bobby tried to figure out whether or not to attack or say something, he supposed. “How about.... how I can help Sam?”

Dean’s eyes widened and he stood up, crossing over to Adam almost immediately, incredulous and hopeful. Bobby, as if more sure of himself now, stuck by Sam and watched, wary. The old man proved the more rational one, obviously not distracted by familial ties and the ever burning need to make sure Sam was okay, and cleared his throat pointedly, causing the two conscious Winchesters to look his way.

“Dean. How do we know that’s your brother? No offense, kid.”

“None taken. You know I’m not a demon though, or anything but myself since I managed to come in here,” Adam answered, gesturing to the room. Dean’s eyes narrowed then though and even though he was still overwhelmed by Adam’s sudden presence, he was smartening up pretty quickly.

“Yeah but you just appeared. People don’t just do that unless they’re.... something.”

“Well, I’m not a demon, and I’m not an angel but I can help you fix Sam. And stop Crowley and Castiel from opening Purgatory. How about that?” Adam offered again, knowing he had their attention for that bit at least. “It won’t be free though.”

“And you said you weren’t a demon,” Bobby scoffed, earning Adam’s blank stare.

“You don’t need to be a demon to want something in return for being left behind. I think Dean owes me, if anything.” Adam turned his gaze back to his brother, watching as shame clouded over hazel eyes and made Dean duck his head. “Yeah, you see? I could ask you for anything and not offer to help Sam but he didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Adam, I’m so so sorry-”

“I know you are, Dean. Sorry’s not gonna fix him though.” The two stared at each other for a moment before Adam stepped aside and walked towards Sam, his fingertips gently grazing over Sam’s forehead. Adam had felt the damage done to Sam’s soul even before touching him. though, so the gesture was pretty unnecessary. Still, they didn’t know what he was. Michael simmered in his soul, wanting to reach out towards Dean, recognizing his Sword, but Adam urged him to be silent for now, mentally comforting him with the knowledge that his time would come. He looked up at Bobby and then at Dean. “I can fix him, but you’ve gotta agree to help me stop those two.”

“We were already on our way to do that before you poofed your way in here. Somehow,” Bobby grumbled, rolling his eyes. Adam gave him a soft quirk of his lips, amused.

“Oh. Right. Just gonna leave Sam here the address while you go off and die, good plan, Team Free Will,” Adam snarked, giving Dean a look.

“Look, you can’t just pop your way in here and think you can do things your way, Adam. We have a plan,” Dean answered, hackles finally raised. Adam lifted his chin, eyebrow arched in a way he’d picked up from Crowley. Dean blinked, surprised, before scowling, obviously not pleased. “Okay, so, we don’t, not really.”

“Awesome. And I do. I also have a key ingredient that they need to open Purgatory. So. Are we doing this my way or will Sam stay here in all his broken pieces?” Adam plopped down on the bed beside Sam’s head, watching both older men as they exchanged looks and communicated silently. He seemed to be paying attention but really, he was waking Michael up again, speaking to him calmly and preparing him to take control. He needed Michael as alert as he could make him, just a bit better than the being that had been relying on his base instincts for all those centuries in the Cage. After what seemed like forever, but was really only a couple of minutes, Dean and Bobby sighed and looked to Adam.

“What do you want, Adam?” Dean grimaced as he asked, watching as Adam looked down to the floor, a smile on his face as Michael came to sit just below the surface.

“You’re... you’re going to give me what I want,” Adam said, blue eyes flickering white so quickly that the others didn’t notice. He stood and turned to Dean, imposing and forceful like he had been in Crowley’s office all those years ago. “You owe me, Dean Winchester. I took Michael in your stead, I went to the Cage instead of you. I know about your stint in Hell but did you know that your pussy forty years were actually over a century to me in the Cage?” He stepped closer to Dean, making sure not to touch anything as he worked on pinning Dean between himself and the wall.

“Dean!”

“Leave it, Bobby!” Dean yelled before looking back up at Adam, his face blank in a move learned from their father. But again, his eyes gave him away. Dean was sorry, he was sick to his stomach that Adam had had to go through anything, especially this. He closed his eyes as he hit the wall before licking his lips and sighing. “What do you need, Adam?”

“I want you to agree to it first. I want to be assured of your help before you hear the plan and shoot it down. No one’s going to get viciously murdered except for Castiel and Crowley and I plan on keeping it that way. You just need to agree.” Adam moved in Dean’s space then, hands braced on either side of Dean’s head, waiting for their eyes to meet. Michael was practically clawing at him to be put in control but Adam had to hold on for just a second more.

“...Fine. Whatever we need to do to get rid of them.” Dean clenched his jaw, looking stubbornly at Adam’s shoulder.

“Say it.” Adam’s eyes flashed white, Michael nearly in control now, but Dean was still refusing.

“Yeah, fine, I agree, okay, Adam?!” Dean looked up then and Adam’s eyes flashed angrily before he punched the wall beside Dean’s head, iron cracking as Michael finally came out, Adam out of control of his body.

“Say you agree! Say you consent to helping, Dean Winchester!” Michael yelled angrily, his true voice underlying Adam’s as they yelled at Dean.

“I consent!” Dean yelled back before stiffening as he realized what he said. “Wait! Fuck!” 

Michael grinned brightly before tilting his head back and letting his Grace fill the room, blinding Bobby as he left the protection of Adam’s soul to finally enter his Sword. The light dimmed and Adam and Dean were left standing against the wall as if nothing happened. Adam grinned and took a step back before Dean’s hand shot out towards him, grabbing his wrist. “Adam?”

“Yeah?”

“I....Okay, I’m pretty sure this isn’t how being possessed works,” Dean said, completely himself. Adam’s eyes flicked to Dean’s chest, to where he felt Michael shifting and settling happily inside his brother, before looking back up. The archangel might’ve been strong enough to complete the possession but he didn’t, couldn’t take control just yet.

“You’re going to get the help you need to save Sam and you’re going to help me stop those two. Come on,” Adam said, dragging Dean to their brother. He ignored Bobby’s incredulous face as he pressed Dean’s right palm to Sam’s heart, reaching out to Michael’s essence to get him to focus and fix Sam. Dean’s eyes flickered white, Michael in control, and Sam jolted on the bed as if electrocuted. Michael retreated, tired and bored, and Dean came back out just as Sam settled again. “He’ll be fine. Let’s go.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a fucking minute!”

“There’s no time, old man!” Just then, Adam felt Crowley’s call, a simple tug at the back of his mind, and he snarled at Bobby. “See?! He’s calling me now. We’ve got to go!”

“What, and leave me here?!”

“Yes. I don’t need you and I don’t want unnecessary deaths, oddly enough,” Adam snapped at him before looking at Dean. “Let’s go. You don’t need to worry about controlling him.”

“You..... Wait, wait, wait, Adam, you- I felt you-”

“Wonderful observation Mr. Winchester. The world is fucking ending, again, but please do go on,” Adam snapped, glad it left Dean glaring but at least silent. “Awesome. We’ll be back. Michael.” Adam grabbed Dean’s hand again, using their hands to establish a better connection to Michael and get the archangel to fly them to their destination, leaving Bobby and Sam at the scrap yard.

“You’re going to need to explain that, this, whatever the fuck is-”

“Shut the fuck up, Dean. I don’t give a shit about your fucking crisis right now,” Adam said, pushing through the doors of the building, angels and demons all over the place. Bela found him quickly enough though, stopping him even as she gave Dean a sneer.

“Castiel gave Crowley an ultimatum for the ritual. Crowley’s back with reinforcements. Adam, he went and got-”

“Raphael,” Dean said, blinking in shock as the name fell from his lips. Adam mimicked the look before smirking and turning to Dean, even though his words were for Michael.

“Come find me in five minutes. We need to take care of your brother again, he’s been bad. Make sure to draw so no one can leave before you find me though,” Adam said softly, as if talking to a child. Dean said nothing but Michael’s essence hummed in agreement from inside him and Adam knew the plan would work. 

“Alright,what the hell is-”

“Let him take control in five minutes. Everything will be handled by then,” Adam said before motioning for Bela to stay with Dean as he rushed to the door to meet with the supposed current big bosses of the universe. The doors opened with huge flair and Adam strolled in, smirking at the sight the three of them made. “Seems I’ve come right on time.”

“Adam,” Castiel acknowledged, voice breathless with surprise. Raphael stood beside Crowley by the wall, eyebrow arched as she took him in. Adam was glad that Bela tended to keep him overly informed about events that happened topside. “When- How-”

“None of that’s important right now, is it, Castiel?” Adam asked, walking towards the table of ingredients, one of the bottles clenched tightly in Castiel’s hand. “Let me guess. You tried to fuck Crowley over and our little trick got you good?”

“Why are you working with him? After everything he did-”

“After everything he did to who? Me? Pretty sure you mean the Winchester brothers and not little Mr. Milligan, Castiel. Though, I can’t say I’m surprised about the mix-up.” Adam reached into his pocket and pulled out the vial of Eleanor’s blood, pleased at the minuet tense reactions everyone made. Even Crowley. He turned to the demon and arched an eyebrow. “Something wrong, boss?”

“Besides the fact that you’re flaunting our leverage, nothing at all, pet,” Crowley said, obviously not impressed with Adam’s theatrics. He hadn’t seen anything yet.

“Sorry, Crowley. Though, seeing you with an archangel as the cavalry is something I was never aware was an option,” Adam noted, pushing away from the table and walking towards Crowley and Raphael. “Nice to meet you, darlin’.”

“I knew he had a Winchester in his pocket but I didn’t expect the runt,” Raphael answered, not impressed by the ease with which Adam spoke.

“I’ve been in the game for a long time, Raphael. I’m the ace,” Adam answered easily, ignoring how Crowley rolled his eyes. “I think you should take care of your little brother over there though, he’s obviously lost. Put him out of his misery,” Adam added with a shrug, turning around to grin at Castiel, glad to see him nervous. “Or not. Maybe the angels should fight it out, see who wins and gets this little vial to share with Crowley and me.”

“Or, you can just hand it over like a good human and not die,” Raphael snarled, stepping forward to grab Adam by the collar and turn him around to face her. Adam looked up at her, not bothering to shy away his eyes or anything, and simply reached out to Raphael’s essence, hoping to let her feel Michael and Lucifer’s traces all over his soul. Her eyes widened marginally and she leaned in, seeming to sniff him as she whispered softly in an annoyed tone.

“My brothers?”

“Kill him,” Adam murmured, almost mouthing the words with how quiet he was, “For them.” 

Raphael flicked her eyes back up to Adam’s face, watching how his eyes glazed over with white just a bit, his essence nudging her in a specific direction. She let him go and huffed before going for Castiel, her angel sword suddenly in her hand. Adam scurried over to Crowley, the demon laughing as the angels danced around each other, fighting not even the word for what they were watching. Adam dodged to the side when they came particularly close and then suddenly, Raphael was on Crowley, palm against his forehead as she slammed him in the wall. Castiel faltered, confused, and Adam picked up Raphael’s dropped angel sword.

“Adam!” Crowley yelled, his eyes glowing as Raphael took her time. Adam lunged, stabbing Castiel in the chest just as Dean rushed in with Bela. Not Dean though, Michael. Castiel’s body crumbled to the ground and Raphael pulled away from Crowley as if he burned her.

“Michael....” she breathed, eyes wide. Crowley slumped against the wall, shock all across his face as he looked from Michael to Adam and Raphael.

“Well, this is my cue to leave, then,” he said hastily before shutting his eyes. He didn’t disappear though and when he opened his eyes again, he found Adam in front of him, Bela hovering just behind him. The demon schooled his features as quickly as he could before licking his lips. “Well then, uh, I guess I’ll just stick around then. Deal with you lot.”

“Actually uh, not gonna be the case, Crowley,” Adam said smugly, holding out his hand until Bela plopped a blade in his palm. Michael and Raphael behind him seemed to be communicating in the silence. “Now, relinquish Hell.”

“Are you bloody kidding me?! After everything I did for you, you ungrateful brat?!” Crowley pushed off the wall but Michael was there in an instant, slamming Crowley back into it, lips pulled back in a feral snarl. Adam put his hand in Michael’s hair, Dean’s hair, and then looked back at Crowley again.

“Yup, after all that. You know no good deed goes unpunished. Relinquish it to me.” Adam twirled the knife in his hand as he waited for the words.

“Can I...” Crowley licked his lips, trying to stall, but Adam made a small noise of displeasure and Michael suddenly shot his hand forward into Crowley’s chest, blood dripping from the wound as the archangel twisted his hand, Crowley’s words dying as he gurgled and tried to push away. A small tap on his arm and Michael pulled back out in a rush, letting Crowley slump to the floor in a bloody heap. Adam squatted down beside the demon, knife poking at the gaping hole in his torso.

“‘Tis only a flesh wound,” Adam joked, though his face showed no humor. Crowley looked at him, thoroughly unimpressed before sighing and licking his lips again, this time to speak.

“F-fine,” he said hoarsely, reaching out to hold Adam’s wrist and closing his eyes. A few moments of nothing and Crowley’s eyes snapped open, enraged. “What the bloody hell did you do?!”

“Daddy’s home, Crowley. And he wants to have a nice long talk with you,” Adam said softly, giving Crowley a dark grin before glancing back at Bela. She took hold of Crowley’s arm, taking the knife from Adam with her free hand.

“And I’ll be able to leave?” she asked Adam, thoroughly enjoying the night’s events. 

Adam looked at Michael, reaching out and holding his hand before thinking his request. Michael beamed at Adam and nodded, disappearing for a moment before coming back, licking the blood off his hand causally. Adam laughed softly before nodding at Bela, watching as she took Crowley back to Hell so Lucifer could deal with him. 

Raphael stared at Adam before giving a small smirk of approval. “I’m impressed, Winchester.”

“Milligan, and thanks.”

“Though, I really do want to know what your plan is now,” she continued, arms crossed as she took him into consideration. If he hadn’t died, he would’ve been all over the pseudo-MILF action. Not now though, not anymore. Adam shrugged and simply reached out to gently tap Michael’s arm, grabbing his attention.

“Whatever he wants to do, honestly. Though. I’m pretty sure someone else hasn’t been all that behaved, have they, Michael?” 

Raphael blanched at the words and tried to fly away but Michael’s face turned from serene ignorance to angry snarls in a split second. Before she could escape, Michael pounced on her. Adam backed away, watching as Raphael was torn apart. 

Unlike in the Cage though, she wouldn’t get better.

Adam looked at the vial of blood in his hand before glancing at the sigil on the wall, the door to Purgatory right there in front of him. After a while, he felt a tug on his sleeve, Michael sitting by his feet and finishing up licking his sister’s blood and essence from his hands. Adam gave a small amused smile and squatted down.

“Let’s go down to Lucifer, huh, Michael? Let’s put Crowley in the Cage where he belongs.” Michael gave Adam one of Dean’s bright smiles, teeth stained almost black from blood, before nodding. The blond leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek before taking hold of his hand, the doors to the room opening once more.

“Adam! Dean!” They looked up, Adam only mildly surprised at seeing Sam there with Bobby in tow. “What.... Dean....?”

“Nope, no Dean here, Sam. Not anymore,” Adam answered, giving Sam and Bobby a smirk. “You won’t have any more trouble though, as long as you don’t try to fuck anything up.” Adam reached out towards the table, the recipe and the vial of virgin blood appearing in his hands suddenly.

“Adam, what....” Sam fell quiet then, knowing exactly what happened to Adam. The blond gave a bright grin and then a mock salute.

“Looks like the world’s saved again, big bro. I’ll tell Dean you miss him if he ever shows up again.”

“Adam wait!”

The two disappeared then, the keys to Purgatory, Heaven, and Hell in their hands.


End file.
